"Task analysis for instructional design is a process of analyzing and
articulating the kind of learning that you expect the learners to know how to
perform" (Jonassen, Tessmer, & Hannum, 1999, p.3). Instructional designers
perform a task analysis in order to:

determine the instructional goals and objectives;

define and describe in detail the tasks and sub-tasks that the student will
perform;

specify the knowledge type (declarative, structural, and procedural knowledge)
that characterize a job or task;

select learning outcomes that are appropriate for instructional development;

The process of task analysis emerged from the behaviorist era in an effort
to describe the elemental behaviors involved in performing a task or job. Nevertheless,
different methods of task analysis have indeed followed the paradigm shifts
to cognitive psychology and onto constructivism. Ultimately, each methodology
of instruction commands its own method of analysis, yet regardless of methodology,
a task analysis is needed for an in-depth understanding of the learning that’s
to take place (Jonassen, et al., 1999).

I Know One Method of Task Analysis. Can I Use It All the
Time?

According to Jonassen, the answer is no. Too often instructional designers try to force-fit all learning situations into one or two methods with which they are most familiar. However, as different audiences require different instructional strategies, different contexts demand different task analysis methods. To determine the best method for your instruction, you must decide what kind of analysis to perform. In general, there are five kinds of task analyses:

job or performance analysis

learning analysis

cognitive task analysis

content or subject matter analysis

activity analysis.

Each of the five methods involves a different procedure for conducting a task analysis and also make different assumptions about the process of learning.

How Do I Perform a Task Analysis?

According to Jonassen, the task analysis process consists of five distinct
functions:

Classifying tasks according to learning outcomes –

Inventorying tasks – identifying tasks or generating a list of tasks

Selecting tasks – prioritizing tasks and choosing those that are more feasible
and appropriate if there is an abundance of tasks to train.

Decomposing tasks – identifying and describing the components of the tasks,
goals, or objectives.

Sequencing tasks and sub-tasks – defining the sequence in which instruction
should occur that will best facilitate learning.

What Formats Can I Use?

There are different formats to use based on the type of learning outcome. The
following are the most prevalent: